My Alfredo keeps coming out lumpy

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Everytime I make Alfredo sauce it comes out lumpy. Can anyone tell me
why and help me avoid this?

Your alfredo is lumpy because you make it out of garbage.

For 4 people,
Melt 6 oz. butter. Add 6 oz. parmigiano reggiano and mix until the cheese
is wet. Add 1/4 cup of cream and stir the mixture to get a paste. Heat at
low temperature until the mixture is a smooth sauce. Mix with 1 pound of
fresh fettuccini (or equivalent measure of dried pasta) cooked according to
directions. I prefer fresh angel hair for the fine texture and one minute
cooking time.

You can learn to adjust the measurements according to your taste. The sauce
should taste like parmesan. The butter and cream are to give the cheese the
correct sauce consistency. Not enough cream and the sauce be too thick (or
solid) when it cools.

Mitch

Quoted message said:

Everytime I make Alfredo sauce it comes out lumpy. Can anyone tell me
why and help me avoid this?

Eeeewwww! Try more foreplay.

<or less>

cybercat said:

"Mitch Scherer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Everytime I make Alfredo sauce it comes out lumpy. Can anyone tell me
why and help me avoid this?

Your alfredo is lumpy because you make it out of garbage.

For 4 people,
Melt 6 oz. butter. Add 6 oz. parmigiano reggiano and mix until the cheese
is wet. Add 1/4 cup of cream and stir the mixture to get a paste. Heat
at low temperature until the mixture is a smooth sauce. Mix with 1 pound
of fresh fettuccini (or equivalent measure of dried pasta) cooked
according to directions. I prefer fresh angel hair for the fine texture
and one minute cooking time.

You can learn to adjust the measurements according to your taste. The
sauce should taste like parmesan. The butter and cream are to give the
cheese the correct sauce consistency. Not enough cream and the sauce be
too thick (or solid) when it cools.

That sounds utterly disgusting.

It isn't. But it's likely that the sauce is breaking before he can get
the pasta mixed in.

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:05:08 -0500, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Mitch Scherer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

For 4 people,
Melt 6 oz. butter. Add 6 oz. parmigiano reggiano and mix until the cheese
is wet. Add 1/4 cup of cream and stir the mixture to get a paste. Heat
at low temperature until the mixture is a smooth sauce. Mix with 1 pound
of fresh fettuccini (or equivalent measure of dried pasta) cooked
according to directions. I prefer fresh angel hair for the fine texture
and one minute cooking time.

You can learn to adjust the measurements according to your taste. The
sauce should taste like parmesan. The butter and cream are to give the
cheese the correct sauce consistency. Not enough cream and the sauce be
too thick (or solid) when it cools.

That sounds utterly disgusting.

It isn't really.

I just learned something new last night. I was craving pasta..and I
was reading a food blog called the Amateur Gourmet. He talked about a
dish of pasta with parmesan and nutmeg..... No cream.. Just pasta,
butter, parmesan and nutmeg.. He talks about how he used to make
it...and then goes on to tell what he learned from Lidia
Bastianich....

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2006/01/a_eureka_pasta_.html

I made this last night...it was simple, very good. Clean
flavors...not gunky...No cream, just butter..and a bit of the pasta
water per Lidia. And good Parmesan. I had some good Parmesan I
picked up in Richmond VA, of all places...from a place called Tom
Leonards. Son of Stew Leonard, of Stew Leonards' fame. Really good
parmesan,for the price. I grated it..and it was marvelous in the
pasta.

Christine

Christine Dabney said:

I just learned something new last night. I was craving pasta..and I
was reading a food blog called the Amateur Gourmet. He talked about a
dish of pasta with parmesan and nutmeg..... No cream.. Just pasta,
butter, parmesan and nutmeg.. He talks about how he used to make
it...and then goes on to tell what he learned from Lidia
Bastianich....

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2006/01/a_eureka_pasta_.html

I made this last night...it was simple, very good. Clean
flavors...not gunky...No cream, just butter..and a bit of the pasta
water per Lidia. And good Parmesan. I had some good Parmesan I
picked up in Richmond VA, of all places...from a place called Tom
Leonards. Son of Stew Leonard, of Stew Leonards' fame. Really good
parmesan,for the price. I grated it..and it was marvelous in the
pasta.

America's Test Kitchens says that fettucini Alfredo was originally made
with just pasta, butter, nutmeg and cheese. The cream bit came in later.
Most how-to's advocate using pasta water to loosen sauces that become
too thick.

"Mitch Scherer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Everytime I make Alfredo sauce it comes out lumpy. Can anyone tell me
why and help me avoid this?

Your alfredo is lumpy because you make it out of garbage.

For 4 people,
Melt 6 oz. butter. Add 6 oz. parmigiano reggiano and mix until the cheese
is wet. Add 1/4 cup of cream and stir the mixture to get a paste. Heat
at low temperature until the mixture is a smooth sauce. Mix with 1 pound
of fresh fettuccini (or equivalent measure of dried pasta) cooked
according to directions. I prefer fresh angel hair for the fine texture
and one minute cooking time.

You can learn to adjust the measurements according to your taste. The
sauce should taste like parmesan. The butter and cream are to give the
cheese the correct sauce consistency. Not enough cream and the sauce be
too thick (or solid) when it cools.

That sounds utterly disgusting.

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:07:48 -0500, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I just learned something new last night. I was craving pasta..and I
was reading a food blog called the Amateur Gourmet. He talked about a
dish of pasta with parmesan and nutmeg..... No cream.. Just pasta,
butter, parmesan and nutmeg.. He talks about how he used to make
it...and then goes on to tell what he learned from Lidia
Bastianich....

I can see this, but butter, parmesan, and heavy cream? Too fatty for me.
And I like fat. I think it is the butter added to the cheese that seems way
too much to me.

Have you ever tried it? Don't knock it til you have tried it.... 😉
The way I fixed it last night, it wasn't too fatty at all....

Christine

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:17:17 -0500, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I really like pasta with a little butter and fresh grated parmesan. But
the cream seems like too much, for me.

As many folks have stated, the original Alfredo was just butter and
parmesan, with no cream.

Try it with the nutmeg...

And try this variation, mentioned on the website I listed above. It
has no cream in it..and is loosened with pasta water.

Next time I might add more nutmeg. It was really, really good.

And to bastardize it, a touch of cream really isn't bad...but it isn't
needed. But it really isn't too rich with it either.

Christine

Pennyaline said:

America's Test Kitchens says that fettucini Alfredo was originally made
with just pasta, butter, nutmeg and cheese. The cream bit came in later.
Most how-to's advocate using pasta water to loosen sauces that become
too thick.

Someone posted here a long time ago saying that American parmesan
isn't as "creamy" as cheese in Italy. I don't disagree with using
pasta water to loosen, it's just that I've never used it as the main
liquid in Alfredo. I'm satisfied with this recipe.

Simple Fettuccine Alfredo
(I hate the taste of nutmeg, so it's not mentioned here)

8 oz. "wide" noodles (use linguini or fettuccini), cooked until barely
al dente
6 oz. butter
1 1/2 C. heavy (whipping) cream
1 C Parmesan cheese
<I also use Romano, Asiago or a combination>
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a wide pan. Add cream and boil rapidly until
thick. Take off the heat. Add noodles to the cooking pan and toss
with the cheese.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a warm bowl and serve immediately.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

Christine Dabney said:

Quoted message said:

That sounds utterly disgusting.

It isn't really.

I just learned something new last night. I was craving pasta..and I
was reading a food blog called the Amateur Gourmet. He talked about a
dish of pasta with parmesan and nutmeg..... No cream.. Just pasta,
butter, parmesan and nutmeg.. He talks about how he used to make
it...and then goes on to tell what he learned from Lidia
Bastianich....

I can see this, but butter, parmesan, and heavy cream? Too fatty for me.
And I like fat. I think it is the butter added to the cheese that seems way
too much to me.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Everytime I make Alfredo sauce it comes out lumpy. Can anyone tell me
why and help me avoid this?

Make a thin white sauce and add your cheese.

The classic white sauce (bechamel) is (as I recall) two tablespoons butter
heated to a bubble with two tablespoons of flour added slowly and stirred
for two minutes. Then add a cup of milk, for a thinner sauce, a cup and a
half or more, slowly. Bring it to a boil reduce it to a simmer and stir the
whole time it thickens.

Add fresh grated parmesan to this, to taste, after it begins to thicken. You
won't get lumps, and it won't be pure grease like recipes that call for
nothing but butter and cheese and heavy cream. Ick.

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

It isn't really.

I just learned something new last night. I was craving pasta..and I
was reading a food blog called the Amateur Gourmet. He talked about a
dish of pasta with parmesan and nutmeg..... No cream.. Just pasta,
butter, parmesan and nutmeg.. He talks about how he used to make
it...and then goes on to tell what he learned from Lidia
Bastianich....

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2006/01/a_eureka_pasta_.html

I really like pasta with a little butter and fresh grated parmesan. But
the cream seems like too much, for me.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:07:48 -0500, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I just learned something new last night. I was craving pasta..and I
was reading a food blog called the Amateur Gourmet. He talked about a
dish of pasta with parmesan and nutmeg..... No cream.. Just pasta,
butter, parmesan and nutmeg.. He talks about how he used to make
it...and then goes on to tell what he learned from Lidia
Bastianich....

I can see this, but butter, parmesan, and heavy cream? Too fatty for me.
And I like fat. I think it is the butter added to the cheese that seems
way
too much to me.

Have you ever tried it? Don't knock it til you have tried it.... 😉
The way I fixed it last night, it wasn't too fatty at all....

Well, maybe, I think you would have to make it for me. It's really hard for
me to get motivated to make something that sounds icky to me. Different
strokes, right? 😉

<sf> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Pennyaline said:

America's Test Kitchens says that fettucini Alfredo was originally made
with just pasta, butter, nutmeg and cheese. The cream bit came in later.
Most how-to's advocate using pasta water to loosen sauces that become
too thick.

Someone posted here a long time ago saying that American parmesan
isn't as "creamy" as cheese in Italy. I don't disagree with using
pasta water to loosen, it's just that I've never used it as the main
liquid in Alfredo. I'm satisfied with this recipe.

Simple Fettuccine Alfredo
(I hate the taste of nutmeg, so it's not mentioned here)

8 oz. "wide" noodles (use linguini or fettuccini), cooked until barely
al dente
6 oz. butter
1 1/2 C. heavy (whipping) cream
1 C Parmesan cheese
<I also use Romano, Asiago or a combination>
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a wide pan. Add cream and boil rapidly until
thick. Take off the heat. Add noodles to the cooking pan and toss
with the cheese.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a warm bowl and serve immediately.

Above is the way I prepare my alfredo, with the exception that I add the
cheese just before I add the noodles; then toss.
Probably turns out the same.

DeeDee

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:17:17 -0500, "cybercat" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I really like pasta with a little butter and fresh grated parmesan. But
the cream seems like too much, for me.

As many folks have stated, the original Alfredo was just butter and
parmesan, with no cream.

Try it with the nutmeg...

And try this variation, mentioned on the website I listed above. It
has no cream in it..and is loosened with pasta water.

Next time I might add more nutmeg. It was really, really good.

And to bastardize it, a touch of cream really isn't bad...but it isn't
needed. But it really isn't too rich with it either.

Christine

To me, the added cream makes it a totally different taste -- well, not
totally, but you 'get my drift.' I like it with cream.

Sometime ago I had to use up some cream and was asking about alternatives.
I made a recipe of fettucine/alfredo.

After it refrigerated/solidified (with the fat and all ;-))) I cut it into
squares and put it into the freezer. Actually it is as good as you can
imagine a store-bought frozen macaroni/cheese or whatever. Heat it up and
have it anytime.

There is nothing wrong with eating fettucine/alfredo (fat-wise) when you
don't eat it alone or a big bowlful. I'll be freezing at least 1/3 of it
again when I make it.

Dee Dee

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Everytime I make Alfredo sauce it comes out lumpy. Can anyone tell me
why and help me avoid this?

Make a thin white sauce and add your cheese.

The classic white sauce (bechamel) is (as I recall) two tablespoons butter
heated to a bubble with two tablespoons of flour added slowly and stirred
for two minutes. Then add a cup of milk, for a thinner sauce, a cup and a
half or more, slowly. Bring it to a boil reduce it to a simmer and stir
the whole time it thickens.

Add fresh grated parmesan to this, to taste, after it begins to thicken.
You won't get lumps, and it won't be pure grease like recipes that call
for nothing but butter and cheese and heavy cream. Ick.

Perhaps you will eat twice as much to acquire the requisite amount of grease
to satiate your palate.
Beware! ;-))

Dee Dee

cybercat said:

Make a thin white sauce and add your cheese.

FLOUR in Alfredo?! Blasphemy....and not the desired flavor at all.

Goomba38 said:

cybercat said:

Make a thin white sauce and add your cheese.

FLOUR in Alfredo?! Blasphemy....and not the desired flavor at all.

OMG. Here we go... somebody used the dreaded "A" word 😉

Remember Bob P's Half-Assed [censored] Sauce?

I'm sure it's been posted here about a mill-yun times... but here it is
for old time's sake:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Pastorio's Half-Assed [censored] Sauce

Recipe By :Bob Pastorio
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : pasta sauces/gravies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic
more butter -- if desired
2 tablespoons bacon fat -- if desired
1 large egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
flat leaf parsley
fresh ground black pepper

Use some milk. Real milk. Or some skim [censored] (my how often that shows up in
culinary discourse) with butter in it. The start of a cream coating for the
pasta.

For a pound of pasta, let's build a hypothetical dressing. 1/2 cup milk,
three tablespoons butter and a garlic clove (mashed and very finely minced)
heated until the butter melts and it comes to a boil. Stir to distribute
the butter and to poach the garlic. Reduce to about 1/3 cup - the reduction
will thicken a bit and have a richer mouthfeel. More butter wouldn't hurt
it, nor would a couple tablespoons bacon fat.

Meanwhile, break an egg into a large bowl and add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
and some fresh, flat leaf parsley. A good grating of black pepper. When the
pasta is done, drain it. Dump the milk reduction into the bowl with the egg
and whisk furiously to mix it all together. Dump the pasta in and toss
quickly to full coat. Serve immediately. More cheese at table.

Description:
"This is a half-assed approximation of a French Sauce Batard (q.v.)
that itself is enormously flexible."
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Garlic: the element without which life as we know it would be impossible

"cybercat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Goomba38" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

cybercat said:

Make a thin white sauce and add your cheese.

FLOUR in Alfredo?! Blasphemy....and not the desired flavor at all.

I know. I just cannot stand all that unadulterated grease. We like what we
like. I'd rather make a thin white sauce, add good cheese, and forgo the
heavy cream.

Quick definitions (grease)

a.. noun: a thick fatty oil (especially one used to lubricate machinery)
a.. noun: the state of being covered with unclean things
a.. verb: lubricate with grease (Example: "Grease the wheels"😉